Rock gatherer



A. E. BAUGH Rocx GAM-:RER

April ll, 1950 Filed Maren 2, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Il velltor 257/5 Illllllll By ff, l

Wwe; @meis April 1l, 195.0 A. E. BAUGH 2,503,465

ROCK GA'I'HERER Filed March 2,' 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I nventor 'Hr/ef'. 30:95.

WWW 19m April 11, 195o A. E 4BAUGH 2,503,465

ROCK GATHERER Filed March 2, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor Affe 5.5019

April 1L 1950 l A. E. .BAUGH .lnocx GA'mERER 4 sheets-sheet y4 Filed Mapex; a,` 1945 By m l WWW 5% Patented Apr. 11, 1950 UNITED STATES PATE-NT OFFICE ROCK GATH-ERER Arie E; Eaugh, Mount Vernon, M0.

ApplicationMarcil 2, 1945;. Serial No. 5805520.`

3 Claims. (01.. 55-17.)

The present invention: relates to new and useful improvements in rock or. stone gathering machines and has for.y its. principal object/:to provide a device: of'. this character:- which may be drawn over a roadway ory field, picking up the stones, elevatingthem; andzdelivering themv into a receptacle, such as a wagon or the like driven alongside of the gatherer;`

An important object ci invention is toiprovide a gathering fork atv the: front end: of an endless conveyor for elevating thestones: to a transverse conveyor and also providing a. rotary gathering element supported on the: frontend: of the con-4 veyor for pushing the stenesv onto' the front end thereof.

Another objectof inventionis toprovidemeans for mounting the apparatus onta pair of ground' wheels and providing? a drive connection between the conveyors andv the rotary gathering.' element and the wheels for operating the mechanism during movement of the gatherer over the ground.

A still further object is t'o provide a frame to which a draft means'is-'attachedrsuchl as a tractor,l wagon or the like for pulling the machine over th'e ground and pivotally supporting the conveyor on the axle of a pair ofi ground wheels and acl-A justably connecting the elevating conveyor tothe frame for raising and-lowering the *fronti end of thev elevator into and out` of gathering position.

A still further object isto providean apparatus of this character of simple and practical construction, which isY eiiici'ent and reliable in op'- eration, relatively' inexpensive to manufacture and otherwisev well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying' drawingsA forming part hereof, wherein like numerals" refertoi like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view;

Figure 2 is a side elevational View.

Figureis a similar view of' thezoppositesi'de of the machine, j

Figure lixis a front elevationalviexv,

Figure 5l is a side elevational view of the transverse elevating conveyor.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the longitudinal elevating conveyor shown with its front end in raised position, and

Figure 7 is a partial bottom plan View.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed g alpreferredembodiment-of invention, the numeral 5 designates a substantially U-sha-ped frame having a tongue orv tow pole` 6 attached to its front end.

The legs of the frame extend rearwardly and are secured adjacent the opposite ends of an axle 'lon which a pair oit-ground wheels 8 are secured, the movement-of the wheelsf'over the ground-serving to rotate the axle.

A conveyor frame isfpivotally supported intermediate its ends on the axle 'I by means of bear'- ing'blocks: Il?, the frame 9 having' front and rear shafts Hy and i12 journaled therein andr tov which y sprockets i3 are secured for driving endlesschains I l connected by transversely extending slats'or cleats l5.

Between the upper and lower iiights` of the chain i4' is positioned astationarybed* I6y forming a support for they intermediate portion of the conveyor chain Hl and along which thel material is adapted to be moved* by theslats i5.

To the front end; of the frame 9 is secured a forwardly projecting fork I7 and the front end of the conveyorframe 9 is adapted for supporting on the surfaceof the ground by ground wheels or rollers t8;

A pair of armsi HT project forwardly and upwardly above the frontend of the conveyor frame 9 and on the outer ends of which is journaled a shaftZll to which a drum 2ll is secured, the drum having radially projecting rows of teeth or prongs 22 positioned above thefork l1 and cooperating therewith to push stones and rocks gathered by the fork rearwardly on tothe conveyor.

Sprockets 23 are secured to the' axle 1 adjacent each end thereof for driving chain 24 engaging sprockets 25 at eachA end of the shaftv 20 for rotating 1 the drum 2 l A sprocket 26 is also secured to an intermeiate portion of the shaftlof the axle l driving, arearwardly.' extendingV chainy 21 and sprockets 28- securedto ashaft 29 journaled transversely:

beneath the rear end of the conveyor frame 9.

A sprocket 3i! is also secured to the shaft 29 driving a chain 3|' engaged with a sprocket 32 secured on a. stub shaft 33 journaled on one side of the conveyor frame 9. A gear 34 is also securedA to the; shaft 33 for driving a gear 35 secured to one end of the rear shaft l2 of the conveyor frame.

The conveyor mounted on the conveyor frame 9 is thus driven by the movement of the ground wheels 8 over the ground.

A pair of arms 36 project rearwardly from the upper edge of each of the conveyor frame members 9, the rear ends of the arms being bent downwardly to provide vertical hangers 31 and to which one side of a transversely extending endless conveyor frame 38 is attached. Brackets 39 secured to the underside of the frame members 9 support the other side of the transverse conveyor frame 3B.

An endless conveyor 40 is carried by the frame 38 and includes a pair of endless chains 4l engaging sprockets 42 and 43 on the inner and outer shafts 44, 45 journaled in the frame 38. The chains 4I are likewise connected by conveyor slats or cleats 46.

The shaft 44 is provided with a gear 41 driven from a combined gear and sprocket 48 journaled at the inner end of the conveyor frame 38 and driven by means of a chain 49 from a sprocket 50 secured to the shaft I2 of the elevating conveyor.

The conveyor frame 9 is pivoted on the axle 1 and may be secured in a raised or lowered position by means of a transversely extending shaft I journaled on a cross bar 52 secured to the upper part of the draft frame 5, the shaft 5l having crank arm 53 extending forwardly therefrom and pivotally engaged in upstanding bracket 54 rising from the conveyor frame 9.

A hand lever 55 is secured to the shaft 5I by means of which the latter may be rocked in its bearings for raising or lowering the front end of the conveyor frame 9 relative to the draft frame 5.

By thus raising or lowering the front end of the conveyor frame 9 the fork I1 may be elevated with respect to the surface of the ground over which the machine is travelling.

As the machine is pulled over the ground by a tractor, wagon or the like the rocks or stones will be gathered by the fork I1 and teeth 22 carried by the rotating drum 2| to thus move the rocks or stones on to the front end of the elevating conveyor 9, where the same are then moved rearwardly of the machine and deposited on the transverse conveyor 40 toward one side of the machine and then deposited into a wagon or other suitable vehicle or receptacle.

It is believed that the details of construction and manner of use of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A stone gatherer comprising a pair of ground Wheels having an axle secured thereto, a longitudinally extending conveyor frame pivotally supported intermediate the ends on said axle, a longitudinal conveyor mounted on said frame, a U-shaped draft frame pivoted at its end on said axle, means connecting the conveyor frame to the draft frame for vertical adjustment of the front end of the former, a fork projecting forwardly from the front end of the conveyor frame, a rotatable rock gathering element journaled at the front end of the conveyor and cooperating with the fork to pick up loose stones and deposit the same onto the longitudinal conveyor, a transversely extending endless conveyor supported at the rear end of said longitudinal conveyor and adapted to receive material from said longitudinal conveyor and means operatively connecting said rock gathering element and said conveyors with the wheel carrying axle for the operation of said gathering element and said conveyors upon movement of the wheels over the ground.

2. A stone gatherer comprising ground wheels, an axle secured thereto, a longitudinally extending endless conveyor frame pivotally supported intermediate its ends on said axle, a longitudinal conveyor on said frame, a U-shaped draft frame having its ends pivoted on the axle, a transverse rock shaft journaled on said draft frame, a pair of crank arms on said transverse rock shaft connected to the said conveyor frame, a hand lever keyed to said transverse shaft, for manually actuating said transverse rock shaft to raise and lower the front end of the conveyor frame relative to said draft frame, a fork projecting forwardly from the front end of said conveyor frame, a drum provided with prongs rotatably supported on the front end of the conveyor above said fork and cooperating therewith to gather stones and move the same rearwardly onto the longitudinal conveyor, a transversely extending endless conveyor attached to the rear end of said first named longitudinal conveyor and adapted to receive material therefrom and means operatively connecting said conveyors and said drum to the axle.

3. A stone gatherer comprising ground wheels, an axle carried by said Wheels, a longitudinal conveyor frame supported on said axle intermediate its ends, a longitudinal conveyor on said frame, a U-shaped draft frame with its ends carried by said axle, a transversely arranged rock shaft, journalled on the said draft frame, connected to said conveyor frame, a hand lever keyed on said transverse rock shaft for manually actuating the same to raise and lower the front end of the conveyor frame relative to said draft frame, a fork on the front end of the conveyor frame, a drum with prongs rotatably supported on the front end of the conveyor frame above said fork, cooperating with the drum to gather stones and to move them onto the conveyor, means for driving said drum from the said axle, arms extending laterally and rearwardly on the sides of the longitudinal conveyor frame, a transversely extending conveyor frame suspended on said arms, an endless transverse conveyor attached to the transverse conveyor frame and adapted to receive stones from said longitudinal conveyor, means for driving said longitudinal conveyor from said axle and driving means for said transverse conveyor connected with said longitudinal conveyor.

ARLE E. BAUGH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this (patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 47,566 Quimby May 2, 1865 661,110 Ellis Nov. 6, 1900 1,389,015 Smith Aug. 30, 1921 1,713,952 Darr May 21, 1929 

